Plains Outside New Anar City

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Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Padawan, muffled a curse as his concentration slipped enough for his backside to acquire a slight bruise. *Now* he remembered why he had always preferred piloting a starship to riding on a living animal: starship chairs came with adequate padding and adjustable supports. In such matters the Living Force was far less accommodating when it went about designing creatures for humanoid transportation. Then again, he could follow his Master's teachings and try to alleviate his body's distress by becoming 'one with the *animal's* Force', but Kenobi rather suspected that the black quadruped in question was leaning toward the Dark Side. It certainly seemed determined to jostle him at every opportunity.

"Between missions like these and Master Jinn's penchant for picking up pathetic orphans, I should get a merit badge of some sort just for putting up with the Living Force's attempts to 'get' me," he muttered to himself. The quad whinnied in what the padawan swore was a snickering tone. "Why do I get the feeling that that Tanaken worker didn't need a Force suggestion to let me borrow you?" Another mocking noise. Ah, well. At least the animal should be swifter than the 'brown' one the Ruenam had accused Nick of taking off with.

According to the info on Anara, the four-legged 'quads' were the preferred method of moving about, even though a crude motorized train system had been developed a couple of decades previously. Rail lines had been set up to transfer supplies and food between even the most distant yarkus and the cities. Nethertheless, most of the Anarans still preferred to use their equine steeds.

There were three distinct varieties of quads, bred especially for the different Houses:

The prestige-hungry Qwanaten House held possession of all the 'whites'. These snow-colored steeds were terribly slow-whitted and skittish, but extremely 'showy', what with their feathery manes and delicate bone structures.

There were two main classes of 'browns', both reknown for their endurance. The larger ones were used by the Farmers for plowing and hauling. The smaller were taken by the Hunters for tracking and chasing down game animals. The Unakan sect even mixed raw meat into their steed's meal to give them a taste for blood. Nasty tempered and hard to deal with, the 'hunting' quads were downright predatory as they worked singularly, or in deadly packs..

The Tanaken's preferred using 'ebonies'. Pitch black coats and of medium build, they were the second-fastest land animal on the planet---second only to the plains deer that still survived in sporadic herds despite decades of overhunting. More importantly to the Tanakens, they were far more even-tempered than either of their paler or darker brothers. In general, a Tanaken rarely had to discipline his mount.

{{ Figures that I'd pick the exception to the rule. }} Kenobi mused to himself while checking the ground up ahead for signs of Nick's passage. Fortunately, the tall prairie grass made it easy to spot the other's trail, and the broken line of stalks showed his quarry was still travelling in a fairly straight line. Now that the sun was rising it would be even ea--

A terrifying scream rent the air just ahead.

Grimacing, he spurred his mount to gallop faster, one hand reaching to unhook his lightsaber from his belt---just as his borrowed animal reared in fright, throwing him from the saddle. He used the Force to cushion his fall; however, the quad was already speeding back the way they had come, leaving him marooned in the boonies, surrounded on all sides by gently rolling hills of chest high grasses. A strong breeze ruffled his hair as he considered going after it, but another scream sounded---this one of pain. Someone was hurt! Igniting his saber, he Force ran towards the sound, noting his lightsaber was not sounding quite right. {{ Sith! }} At some point during the night, he must have jostled loose inner part of the mechanism. No time to worry about it now---but he'd have to take a look inside the casing as soon as an opportunity arised.

What a way to start the day.

It didn't show any signs of improving when minutes later he was nearly bowled over by a large, brown quad that was in a big hurry to vacate the immediate area and had chosen Kenobi's basic location for its exit trajectory. Cursing, Obi-Wan dodged aside. This planet seemed to have it in for him! A low moan made him look around. There, squatting in a section of trampled grass was a small, black and white version of Ayar, looking dazed while blood ebbed from four parallel scratches on its neck. A kievet? Obi-Wan took a step toward it, intent on rending him aid. Another moan and he realized that they were coming not from the furry native, but from..

"Nick?"

The former jedi padawan/alien knight was sitting curled upon himself with tightly shut eyes, shivering uncontrollably, and moaning at odd intervals: "Aidez-moi... je le vous en prie... mon *pere*..."

"Nick? Are you hurt?" Obi-Wan asked as he leaned down to check for injuries. An odd sense of deja-vu came over him. He leapt backwards, lightsaber held in defense, just before 'Nick' sprang upright, teeth bared, clawed fingers raised, and scarlet eyes glaring---straight into the rising sun. With a whimper, the dark golden figure collapsed back down onto the grass, both arms cradling his head. "Make it g-go a-away! Make it g-go away!" he/it moaned in fractured Basic.

Alarmed, Obi-Wan risked a quick glance around. There was nothing around save the kievet and himself, and he seriously doubted they were what the Earth native was so frightened of. "Make *what* go away?" he asked tensely.

"S-sun!" came the fearful reply.

The sun? Kenobi frowned. What had Anara's star to do with anything? Then he remembered Nick's tales of being a vampire back in his home universe. But Ayar's body would not be affected by sunlight regardless of the psyche in control, would it? The hybrid cells certaintly didn't appear to be in the throes of combustion. What skin showed up through the hair looked normal enough---not even a light burn.

"Nick.."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" the angry roar drowned out his attempt at comfort. Nick---or more accurately, Kenobi corrected himself--- the *Vampire* was up and ready to attack him, eyes squinting against the strong light, but with a set look of determination in them. At the same time, his lightsaber chose that moment to start sputtering, then die. One thought calmly diagnosed the abberation in his weapon as 'loose connection in the focusing alignment'; another was screaming: Oh, Bantha Poodo! Not *Now*! Smiling cockily in what he hoped was a convincing bluff, he nonchalantly rehooked the temporarily useless defense item while thinking furiously. First things first: if he Force sprinted fast enough, maybe he could get the kievet safely away from danger. Then he could start thinking of some plan to deal with this monster-turned-friend-turned-monster-again. Assuming the Vampire didn't just sprint right after him.

He was just tensing his leg muscles for the attempt when there was a light stirring in the Force---nothing major, like the presence of another Jedi---but something was manipulating the Living Force. Making...music?

The Kievet was singing in almost a whisper. As he listened, the music grew steadily louder---yet never losing its soft, calming tone. Peaceful. Serene. Obi-Wan blinked. The little native was a Force sensitive! He felt the weak energies of the Living Force start to wrap themselves around the angry Vampire, slowly calming it until the predator was laying once more on the grass. The Kievet started crawling over to him...

Quick as thought, Obi-Wan leapt over and plucked the apparently suicidal native from the ground. It chirped in surprise, eyes wide at suddenly finding itself level with the tops of the windswept grasses instead of their roots. The Jedi knight-in-training would have chuckled at its comical expression if it wasn't for the warning growl coming from the Vampire.

*Mine*, the scarlet eyes informed him. The Kievet, as well, seemed none to pleased with his attempt at save its hide as a mild, but well-placed thump on his stomach advised him of its unhappiness. Reluctantly, he let the Kievet go and watched as it beelined over to the crouching Vampire. Dark golden hands latched onto black ones as the Vampire brought his mouth down to feed.

{{ Sith! Here I am butt sore, tired from lack of sleep, got a broken lightsaber---for which Qui-Gon is going to lecture me---and now Vampire Nick is going to *kill* that stupid little fur ball! }} he thought in horror. He readied to defend the suicidal being again. Even saberless, he should be able to...

But the Kievet merely licked its captor's ear once before falling back into song. Obi-Wan was confused. Should he separate them or not? The Vampire was obviously sucking up something (probably blood, he thought with a nauseated twinge in his stomach), yet the Kievet didn't seem to care. If anything, both looked downright contented. He needed more knowledge about what was going on. Or at least some masterly advice.

Remembering his comm unit, Kenobi fished it out of its hiding place in his tunic and switched it on, wishing he was close enough to his teacher to use their bond instead. It was uncertain whether the Anarans had developed the means to intercept such technological transmissions, so they were suppposed to use them only in emergencies. Of course, they were *supposed* to stay within fairly close range of each other in the first place. So much for well-laid plans.

He waited for the answering beep.

"Master?"

The reply was swift. << Padawan? Is there a problem?" >>

Obi-Wan's mouth quirked into its lopsided smile. When didn't they have 'a problem' these days? "I'm not sure. I've found Nick---but he's not terribly fond of me just now. He *does* seem to be very close to someone else, though." The padawan could almost see the furrowed brows of his master.

<< Has he has injured someone? >>

"Um... he's sucking on someone's neck."

A few seconds pause, then his Master's voice came back, worried. << He's ingesting blood? >>

" Well, he's ingesting *something*. I think. I mean, I don't smell *blood*, but there is this spicy sweet aroma coming---"

An eager sound in the background. Pohl. << A K'tlyan?! Is it wild or owned? And who is this 'Nick'? >>

"...Master?"

<< Here, Padawan. >> Obi-Wan could hear the annoyance in his teacher's voice. <<But we should keep this short. Can you get Nick back to our transport? >>

Glancing over to where the kievet were huddled, Kenobi saw the Vampire look up with yellow flecked eyes to glare at him before resuming its licking of the newcomer's throat area. The K'tlyan humming languidly in response. The padawan averted his eyes. He wasn't *certain* of what they were doing, but it looked rather private and he *definitely* wasn't invited. Not that he wished to be. At least the little native no longer seemed to be in danger. "I don't think so. Like I said, he's not in the best of moods---I don't think he's a 'day person'." He paused, allowing his Master time to roll his eyes---if only mentally. "And... I seem to have damaged my saber as well as having been abandoned by my ride."

<< Bad? >>

Obi-Wan rattled off a needed part and his approximate location.

<< I have a spare. But it will take me some time to get to you. >>

Again the background voice interposed with his master's: << Nonsense! It will take us hardly any time at all by private rail car. >>

<< Us? Excuse me, Padawan.>> Obi-Wan saw his comm unit beep that the connection had been severed. Great. He looked away from the device and saw that both of the others had slipped into a light sleep. Sighing, he settled down to wait.

-----------------------------o--------------------------------

Feeling exasperated---again!---, Qui-Gon frowned at the Tanaken. Pohl frowned back.

"I am going with you---donah give me that Jedi scowl! You'll need me to authorize the fastest train going towards Northern Yarcu. Naht to mention suitable quads and other suplies for a mountain trek? Oh, aye.... and an interpreter familiar with Etwan as well as Anaran and Basic. You will find that I am unique in holding all of those attributes."

"What makes you think we are going to the mountains?"

"You didna bring Ayar back to make amends to me. And it's presence isna needed to find out about the DNA splicing you are so keen on. Obviously, Ayar is in need of something---medicine for this abberation of his, perhaps?---hmm..and you are hoping that the Kievet can supply it." He grinned at the silent Jedi. "Of course, I could just go by myself with a squad of guards and arrest your apprentice before you even acquired a quad."

"Why don't you, then?" asked Qui-Gon, genuinely puzzled. It was an action he would not have put past the Anaran---any Anaran.

"Because if there is one thing I've learned about the Jedi, it is that they are as tenacious as I am. I have no wish to continue this game of tug of war with you or your kind, Master Jinn. Instead, I offer a challenge."

"And what sort of challenge would that be?"

"First tell me what it is that Ayar needs."

Jinn hesitated. Would divulging the truth cause Dr. Anders to give up his demand for Ayar? Or would the man simply transfer his need to the universe-crossing Earther? After all, the *body* was the same regardless of who was occupying it at the time. Or he could tell the truth without elaborating on the details. At least for now.

"Ayar wishes us to find 'K'tlyssa'. He watched the Anarans face carefully for signs of recognition.

Both of Pohl's eyebrows shot up. "You say your looking for Ke-tly-sa?" he pronounced carefully, as if to be sure.

"That is what Ayar said," Qui-Gon answered just as warily. "Do you know where we can find one?"

Throwing back his head, Pohl laughed. "Oh, this is good!" He looked at the Jedi Master with twinkling eyes. "You have na idea what it is your searching for, do you?"

Jinn frowned. "Actually...no," he admitted. "Just the word itself. Is this a thing and not a person, then?" Pohl ignored the question, choosing instead to smile at some joke that only he knew the punchline to. Qui-Gon again had to release his annoyance into the Force. It was getting repetitious.

"Then here is my proposition for you, Master Jedi," the scientist grinned ferally. "I will help Ayar in this quest----but when it fails to find K'tlysa---the two actually *meet* together," he stressed, "you will surrender its keeping to me. Agreed?"

Qui-Gon sighed. "I told you, I do not own him. You will have to strike such a bargain with the being in question. But what do you propose for when he *does* find K'tlysa?"

"Why.. I will relinquish my claim of ownership."

"Just like that?" The Jedi looked doubtful.

"Just like that. On the name of my *House*, Jedi." Pohl added when the other continued to look skeptical.

Jinn clasped his hands together inside his cloak sleeves as he quickly thought about his different options. It seemed unlikely that Ayar would have sent them on a pointless search, so there was a 'K'tlysa' to be found, and presumably, to be found amongst the Kievet in their mountains and not amidst the flatland conquerors.
"You seem awfully confident that he will fail, Director. May I ask why?"

"Because I am a scientist, Master Jedi. Because your K'tlysa no more exists than... than K'yavanti does. It is only a pity we will all have to travel so far just to prove it to you."

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End of Episode Two: Part 8

"Aidez-moi... je le vous en prie... mon *pere*..." is French for "Help me... I beg this of you...*Father*..." My thanks to Brenda F. Bell for supplying this translation. Also, my heartfelt thanks to all the other Forever Knight fans who sent me alternate phrases. It was hard to pick one!--ks